The Knightmare at Beacon Academy
by Phonius Pwnage the 3rd
Summary: "Those that fight against monsters should see to it that they, themselves, do not become the monster. For if they gaze long enough into the black abyss, they will soon see that the abyss also gazes back." - Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good & Evil. (I couldn't figure out a good enough summary. Hope this is enough, Have a horrifically frightening Halloween everyone!)


**Greetings everyone,**

 **Welcome to the very spooky Halloween Special One-Shot, "A Knight-mare At Beacon Academy".**

 **In honor of the most horrifying of holidays, this story has risen from the depths of the Underworld to thirst upon your excitement for this most terrifying of days when the ghosts, ghouls, and goblins alike all walk the earth when darkness has caked the land.** **I hope you all enjoy the short story and I can't wait to hear your feedback. Be sure to stay safe this night and be sure that no undead takes a bite from your flesh. I didn't really have a lot of time to work on this story as it randomly came to me as I going into work so, here's what I could manage to make in the short amount of time I had. Also, just to say clearly this WILL NOT become a full-fledge story but it will be up for adoption for anyone who wants to make it their own.**

 **Make sure to Favorite, Follow, and leave a Review.**

 **Till next time and have a happy Halloween!**

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A Knight-mare At Beacon Academy

Tis' the day of Halloween's Eve, a day when the creatures of darkness would rise from their slumber to wander the earthly realm in search of anything that may satiate their ravenous hunger. But it is at the illustrious Beacon Academy where out story is taken, where the hallways were decorated with jack o' lanterns and cobwebs alike. Where the faculty dressed in all manner of costumed delights, why even the notorious Glynda Goodwitch could not help but be just as festive as her colleagues as she, too, was dressed much like her coworkers for this night of haunts and horrors.

But, though the halls were decked and merry with the decorations befitting a house of the dead and the students, each dressed in their choice of terrifying costumes, there was one soul that always dreaded the night when the horrors of fantasy dared the trespass on his veil of reality. Though he was dressed in a suit of the purest of black armor, reminiscing of that of a black knight, he, unlike his friends and confidants, was not as merry for this bleak night of scares.

And so, as he raised from the comforting arms of his bed, the cushions beneath his armored form compressing against his added weight, his tuft head of messy and unkempt blonde hair swaying due to his rise in motion. He gazed upon his costumed teammates, all dressed in varied colored costumes and mouths spread wide across their faces to produce the most joyful of smiles while he could only sigh and frown as the memories of his nights on this horrific holidays ran through his mind, much like the tape reel in a movie theater's camera.

It was only when the boy, who felt no joy for the holiday, felt a gentle hand upon his armored shoulder that he took notice of his partner's form. Her fiery-red locks flowing down her shoulders and slender back like that of a river of molten rock. Her costume of choice had been that of a horrifying witch but to his cerulean eyes she was much less of a witch and more of an enchantress. The ripped and dirtied black gown hung around her milky white body gave off the impression that she was more than she was beneath her appearance, a fact the boy could not help but agree with.

"Is everything alright, Jaune?" she asked, her soft frown and even softer expression of worry for the boy nearly causing his cheeks to flush red. Though she could always be a slight overprotective of him, the boy knew that deep in her heart that she cared for his safety. It was one of the reasons he'd fallen for her as hard as he did. But tonight was different for the boy.

Tonight was the night that the beast that resided within his innocent soul would unleashed in search of the sweet nectar that flowed within the veins of humanity just as it always had those nights before.

For you see, Jaune Arc, the goofball knight of Beacon Academy's Team JNPR, was in reality a creature of the night. Or perhaps the best way to explain it was that he was merely a halfing. The son of Vladimir Arc, the immortal undead prince of darkness, and Marian Arc, the mortal woman who had hunted Vladimir to the ends of the earth only to fall for the monster due to his kind heart and gentle eyes. It was through their bond that their son, Jaune, was born; a man of the day and a monster of the night, forever in constantly combat for domination.

But, twas the night of Halloween, when the darkest of nights welcomed the realm of monsters into reality to feast, when the beast that thirsted for blood was at it's strongest. For years his mother, who often worked the night shift at the hospital would always prepare some bags of donated blood that he would drink to satiate the hunger he often felt on this night. But, unfortunately, this night had seen the end of his stash of crimson plasma and with no way to get more to calm the darkness within his soul the hunger that had so often caused him so much pain had returned in full force.

His partner's milky white neck was fully exposed to him as his enhanced vision saw every river of blood that flowed through her beautiful neckline, tempting him ever closer to the well that would satiate his endless hunger and calm the beast within his soul. His cerulean eyes flashed red for but a moment when they spotted his partner's worried expression on her beautiful face. She had turned at just the right moment as his red eyes flashed back to their normal blue, keeping his horrifying secret and protecting his friendship, if only for a brief moment of bliss.

Softly, he chuckled, causing his partner to turn back to face him with that same worried expression on her face. "I'm alright, Pyrrha." he lied, hoping to fool his partner and save her from the truth he'd held for years before. "Just thinking about having to give Ruby all of my candy this year again is kind of making me not want to go out tonight."

And in that instance, Nora, his other teammate, was quick to hop onto his bed with a smile. Her costume of choice was that of an undead corpse created by a scientist, complete with painted stitches and a set of bolts attached to the sides of her head. It had seemed as though she and her partner, Ren, had decided to play the roles of the mad scientist and his undead creation.

"Awe, it'll be okay fearless leader!" exclaimed Nora, ignoring the groan of annoyance from her partner after she'd leaped away from him just as he was putting the finishing touches on Nora's painted stitches. "This just means that we need to get as much candy as we can before Ruby has any chance to take them! I say we break her legs to keep her from chasing us all night long" said Nora, smiling maliciously with a dark vision in her eyes, only slightly frightening Jaune and Pyrrha, before Ren was quick to correct his hyperactive, pancake-obsessed partner.

"Nora, you can't break your friends' legs." said Ren, sighing at his partner's rambunctious and over-the-top personality as she hopped off of Jaune's bed and rushed to wrap her arms around the labcoat he wore around his body with a goofy smile.

"Oh, Renny, you dummy, they know I'm only joking!" said Nora, laughing happily as she tightened her grip around Ren's body. "Everybody knows you only break your friend's left leg, silly-head!"

And while Ren could only sigh at Nora randomness and pension for harming bodily limbs, both Pyrrha and Jaune could not help but be slightly worried about their teammate's feelings towards limbs. Needless to say, the night, while prepared for the joys of his teammates, was not something he, himself, was all-too swift to participate in. His thirst for the delicious crimson nectar filled his mind with clouds but his desire for his life of "normalcy" was just enough to keep himself under control.

But for how long was the real question.

As several hours later, when the shattered remains of the celestial lunar star was high into the night above the city of sinners, all of whom were busy partying their worries away under the guise of monsters and demons. But, little did these pathetic mortals know was that this was the night the monster wore costumes as well. One such individual was the innocent boy who housed a darkness deep within himself. His pitch-black knightly armor blended well with the darkness surrounding his form as he swiftly moved about the dark and desolate hallways of Beacon Academy.

T'Would only be but a few hours till the realm of monsters was opened to the world and the beast the resided within Jaune's soul was awoken from it's restless slumber, free to roam the area of Beacon Academy in search of food. But Jaune, wishing to keep his heritage a secret from those he cared about and protect them from the monster that raged within, was quick to retreat back to his dorm. Hopefully, he'd be able to make contact with his mother and hopefully gain access to the where the hospital stored their donated blood.

But, just as Jaune was drawing ever nearer to his safe haven, a dark presence made itself known, setting alarm bells off in Jaune's mind as he stopped dead center in the middle of the dark and desolate hallway, the sound of music and cheers echoing from the ballroom where the students and faculty were enjoying their night of freedom, forever unaware that this was the night monsters like Jaune came out to play.

And it was looking to like Jaune's first playmate of the evening was about to make itself known as a dark spectral hand reached out for him, only for him to leap high into the air. Suddenly, several more black spectral hands reached out from his body before a set of black demonic wings sprouted from his back, allowing him to fly back just far enough to avoid their relentless grasp.

As Jaune landed further down the dark hallway, his demonic black wings sinking back in his back and leaving only two open holes in the back of his black knight costume, his playmate, or rather, playmates, chose to reveal themselves. From the sides of the hallways sprouted two dark and malicious spectral forms, each of them shrouded by black mists that kept their physical forms from revealing themselves. A scowl rested upon Jaune's face as the two black ghostly specters turned to face him, their faces as expressionless as ever before.

Much like Jaune was a creature of the night so, too, were the monsters he faced against every night to protect his friends and home. And these ghostly specters were not so different. Their true names were mysteries to the stories told by mortal men but the fear they feasted upon was as real as the corpses they left in their wake. Jaune, not knowing their true names as his father had never bothered to tell him, had taken to calling them Nightmares. Similar to the Geists of the Grimm species, their only difference was their choice in weaponizing their abilities. Whereas Geists were able to possess inanimate objects in order to create a protective outer shell, Nightmares saw it best to haunt the inner psyche of their victims, terrifying their subconscious with visions of death until eventually they died. T'was the fear they feasted upon and t'was Jaune who was always ready to negate their hauntings. But, considering this was night when the realm of monsters was fully open, granting the monsters that resided in Remnant much more power, and his own beastly side was continuing to egg him on towards harming his friends, this was not a night that Jaune wanted to be messed with.

Immediately, the two Nightmares lashed out at Jaune, only for him to rolled out of the way and instinctively reach out for his weapon. But, as he grasped at the air that rested against his hip, causing him to become confused to the point he had neglected his two opponents. The two Nightmares were able to capitalize on his confusion, each of them reaching out with their arms to grasp his shoulders before launching him into the ceilings with a crash, causing the crumbled rubble to cascade towards the floor. Their grasp on his arms only being thrown off as Jaune summoned his wings once more, allowing him to hover in mid-air with each flag of his demonic wings.

But as he hovered above the ground below him, his wings black as the shadows around him, a new presence made itself known. And using his airborn maneuvers, he was able to duck beneath a sea of clawed hands that reach out from the ceiling above him. Instantly, Jaune took off like a rocket down the bleak hallway as the multiple arms belonging to the Nightmares chased after his form. Suddenly, as if consumed by an incredible amount of pain, Jaune's hands reached out for his head, causing him to fall to the ground with a thud. His wings slowly sunk back into his back as he knelt on the floor cradling his head.

"N-No..." he struggled to say through gritted teeth as his cerulean eyes briefly flashed red, his pupils becoming small black vertical slits of darkness. "I-I need more time..." But time was not the boy's side as the hands on the clock that rested against the hallway's way met one another.

12:00 A.M.

The realm of monsters was open to the world as thousands of invincible creatures of night flooded the earthly realm, ready to feast upon the world around them. Nightmares, Ghouls, Goblins, and all manner of demonic beasts flew into the night, terrorizing the unsuspecting foolish mortals that dared to walk the nightly streets alone. And as Jaune remained kneeling against the floor, cradling his head in his hands, the two Nightmares slowly moving ever closer towards his form, the soft chime of a bell was what stopped Jaune's pain. Another chime was what brought the Nightmares to a halt. And a third and final chime was what opened the cage to the beast that lived within Jaune's soul as a dark mist surrounded his body much like the Nightmares floating behind him.

Softly, the black form that named itself Jaune began to chuckle as he slowly rose to his feet, his black armor shining in the soft glows of the moonlight as the Nightmares turned to one another in abstract confusion. Suddenly, Jaune's chuckle became a dark and malicious laughter as he threw his head back to gaze upon the ceiling above him, his arms spread outward as his wings came back larger than before. It was only as the laughter became but a silent hum that the Nightmares realized the error of their ways. Jaune's head slowly swiveled towards the two Nightmares, his eyes red as the crimson blood he sought after and a dark, malicious smile on his face. The beast was awaken from it's slumber and tonight as the screams of mortals echoed through the dark skies of the night like an unholy choir of bloody harmony, it, too, would feast upon it's victims until it's hunger was satiated at long last.

Slowly, the black beast walked towards the two Nightmares that floated before him, the black mist that surrounded his form growing ever larger with each step he took. But as he walked towards the twin Nightmares the floated before him, it was only as he neared their black spectral forms that he slowly parted ways, allowing him to pass through and back towards the ballroom where his hunger would finally be quenched.

For years the beast had suffered through the torture Jaune had put him through and all for the pathetic desire of turning back on his own kind in favor of trying to make peace with the pathetic mortals of the earthly realm. But, now it was time that the beast taught Jaune a lesson he would never forget.

And as the beast walked through the threshold of Beacon Academy's ballroom, the echoes of music filling the room as it drowned out the anguish wails of Beacon's many students as they were literally ripped apart by the creatures that invaded their realm. splatters of blood and guts painted the dance floor and walls as a multitude of monsters chowed down on the defenseless students and faculty. The beast that wore Jaune's face remained expressionless as he watched the gory scene before him. From witnessing the buxom blonde that made terrible puns being impaled via a shadowy tendril to watching as a the raven-haired feline's head was popped clean off of her shoulder, her eyes widened as they asked why it was her that was killed this night and the answer was quite simple really. For just as man must consume the flesh of animals to sustain their own mortal lives so, too, must the creatures of night feed upon the flesh of mortals. After all that's what it meant to be on the food chain, wasn't it?

Suddenly, a beautiful sight caught the beasts eyes as he witnessed the red-haired amazon, dressed as an enchantress, slaughter all that dared to face her. Her otherwise milky white perfect complexion was ruined by the dirty blood that caked her body. She wore the blood that coated her body like a badge of honor as he used her semblance to launch several knives into a monster, ending it's life but unfortunately not in time to save the girl it had killed. Her entire right side melted onto the floor, leaving only her left as tears streamed down from her left eye as a goblin munched on her bunny ears, blood oozing from it's mouth through canine teeth.

Slowly, the beast made his way towards the bloodied amazon as she recklessly fought against the endless hordes of monsters. He remained unchanged by the atrocities being committed around him as several goblins pulled a screaming snow-haired heiress's limbs from her frail body, killing her as her blood spilled from her open wounds and as a wolf as black as the night sky and standing several feet higher than the monster around it, munched on a dark red cloak as blood rained from it's mouth like waterfalls. Not even the sight of witnessing Nora's severed head being cradled by Ren's arms as several of the monsters slowly began to crowd him. His only words the exited his mouth being his undying love for his childhood friend before his screamed echoed through the ballroom.

Eventually, the beast made his way towards the girl that caught his eyes, her body covered in the blood of her enemies and allies alike. And as she turned to face him, her eyes widened in confusion. But before she utter a single word, the beast wrapped his armored arms around her form, holding her tightly against his body as tears spilled from her eyes. Softly, the beast smiled as he held her in his arms, his red eyes shining as they stared down at her exposed neck as their allies perished around them in the most gruesome of ways possible.

"Don't worry, Pyrrha. The nightmare will be over soon, I promise." the beast said softly, smiling as he watched carnage that was happening behind Pyrrha's slender back before sinking his sharpened fangs into his former partner's exposed neck, her cries of pain and anguish rising to the sky as the city of Vale burned in the distance. Let this be a warning to those that choose to fight. Those that fight the darkness must see to it that they are not consumed by it. For if they remain in that black abyss for too long then they, too, may become the monster they were born to fight.


End file.
